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Delhi govt seeks compliance report of NGT orders

Just a couple of days ahead of the National Green Tribunal’s hearing of a petition against very high pollution levels in Delhi, chief secretary KK Sharma has directed heads of several departments to submit a compliance report of NGT’s earlier orders in the matter.

Sharma asked the transport department to launch a website to seek information on vehicles more than 15 years old from owners and ordered it to check with the union ministry of road transport and highways about its stand on banning such vehicles.

Responding to a petition filed by Vardhaman Kaushik last November, an NGT bench headed by tribunal chairperson Swatanter Kumar directed that all vehicles—petrol or diesel—which are more than 15 years old shall not be permitted to ply and, wherever such vehicles are noticed, they will be seized by authorities. It also ordered that the RTO shall not renew registration of or issue fitness certificate to any such vehicle.
Any such old vehicle will not be parked in any public area. If seen, they shall be towed away. NGT also ordered bans on parking on tarred roads and burning of waste. But, in an affidavit to Supreme Court, the ministry of transport recently submitted that it does not propose to mandate an age limit to private vehicles because it’s a “short-cut approach” and that fitness testing of the vehicle will prove that it has reached the end of its life.

The transport department has since informed that, based on vehicle registration data, there are 28 lakh vehicles over 15 years old. This figure may not include the vehicles disposed of, sold, transferred and taken out of Delhi. The special commissioner (traffic) informed the chief secretary that since November traffic police have impounded about 1,100 vehicles more than 15 years old.

Sharma advised traffic police to take steps to ensure “uninterrupted vehicular movement at optimum speed and reduce halt at traffic junctions, thereby reducing pollution”. Traffic officials also requested corporations to submit details of parking capacity at various locations. “Corporations in consultation with road owning agencies should ensure that parking is regularized in all areas, especially market areas, by marking of parking bays or boxes,” Sharma suggested. He acknowledged that road space occupied by buses is much less than space occupied by cars. The transport commissioner informed him that they are in need of parking space for 1,085 cluster buses. Non-utilization of parking space in Kamla Nagar due to unavailability of contractor was also discussed.